Large parts of Tiswadi and nearby villages were covered (as reported in one local newspaper on Sept 20) in thick, heavy smoke on the night of September 19 due to hours of continuous fire-cracker bursting across the area, raising major environmental concerns. Well, some people indeed cannot celebrate religious festivals without lighting some noisy fireworks in residential areas and disturbing others (including senior citizens, animals and pets) and causing air pollution/degrading the environment. Infact, the more people are highly educated, the more they are seen behaving like kids today and trying to show off by lighting fireworks in close residential areas whilst celebrating their festivals. Fireworks cause serious air pollution, produce a lot of garbage and noise, and are a huge disturbance especially for children, the elderly as well as animals. It causes distress, especially as fireworks can sound like gunfire and can aggravate a nervous condition. Safeguarding our health and protecting the lives of others around should therefore be our top priority... because finally we should know that this planet has been gifted to us to protect and not to destroy it.
JERRY FERNANDES, Saligao
